Cumming, Peter Walshaw (Oral history)

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REEL 1 Background in Birmingham and Stirling, GB, 1929-1947: family; education; father's military service in Second World War; reasons why he joined army instead of Royal Navy; life in Stirling during Second World War; family military service during Second World War; belief that Allies would win Second World War. Period at Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1947-1948: opinion of course; sporting activities; commissioning into Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 10/1948. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 27th Infantry Bde in Hong Kong, 1949-1950: voyage from GB to Hong Kong aboard HMT Empire Trooper; exchange of memories about Hong Kong with Chinese Ambassador; conditions in Hong Kong; memories of Eric Linklater; quality of commanding officer. Recollections of operations as officer commanding Medium Machine Gun Platoon, 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 27th Commonwealth Infantry Bde in Korea, 1950-1951: role of brigade; impact of arrival of General Mathew Ridgeway.
REEL 2 Continues: role commanding machine gun platoon; hearing news of move from Hong Kong to Korea, 6/1950; voyage from Hong Kong to Korea with battalion vehicles; Korean method of securing vehicles to rail flatbed at Pusan; first casualties to platoon; elimination of North Korean machine gun post by shelling; North Korean shelling of bridge used by unit; role of platoon in taking of Hill 282; opinion of North Korean troops; role of second in command during action; unit casualties from mistaken US air strike; death of Major Kenneth Muir; delays in unit leaving Korea; opinion of 3rd Royal Australian Regt; orders to capture Sariwon; in action against North Korean troops in Sariwon.
REEL 3 Continues: story of encounter with North Korean troops who mistook unit for Russians at Sariwon; attitude to stopping short of Chinese border; rearguard duties; effect on fighting of winter conditions, 1/1952-2/1952; discovery of US reconnaissance group massacred in their sleeping bags; opinion of US troops; opinion of General Mathew Ridgeway; US comforts in front-line; value of shaving every day; supplies available to US troops; leaving Korea for Hong Kong, 4/1951. Aspects of signals course in Malaya, 1952: jungle patrol; role of Sakai; signals work on patrol; effect of peacock screams.
REEL 4 Continues: navigating in jungle; method used by Sakai to move through jungle. Reflections on service in Korea, 1950-1951: attitude to having served in Korean War; question of political aspects of war; importance of newspapers from GB; comforts from home; use of US Army rations; opinion of British and US military equipment; soldier who reacted badly to cold.

Submarines played a key role in operations throughout the Cold War. Commodore Frederic Thompson, kept himself and his crewmates entertained, by creating ‘radio’ programmes, which were then broadcast over the submarine’s internal speakers.